Metronor's Next Gen Boresight System for KAI T-50 Golden Eagle

(Oslo, November 27, 2008) -- Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd (KAI) and Metronor AS have signed a contract for development and delivery of a new boresight system for KAI's T-50 Golden Eagle Advanced Jet Trainer.

The Metronor system will replace the existing mechanical/optical boresight system presently used by KAI's T-50 production line, and it is expected that the system will become the new standard T-50 boresight system, both for production and in-service.

The new T-50 boresight system will be based on Metronor's HarmoLign Boresight System technology, originally developed under contract with BAE Systems. This technology is derived from Metronor's patented electro-optical technology, and has been designed to provide the most flexible, capable and affordable boresighting/harmonization technology available in the market. Providing on-screen type-specific graphical operator guidance - eliminating the need for operator training - and requiring no scheduled maintenance or calibration, the system has very low life-cycle costs. While the system shares key technology with Metronor's proven range of industrial geometry measurement systems, the Harmolign system has been engineered from the ground up to meet all applicable military standards and requirements. The system can readily and affordably be adapted to a wide range of weapon system platforms, as well as for alignment of civil aviation sensors/systems. Although originally developed for measurement of roll-, pitch- and yaw offsets only, the system can also be used for accurate determination of position. As such the system provides full 6 degrees of freedom (6-DOF) capability, applicable for alignment/ harmonization of optical helmet tracker systems and other weapon system sensors requiring 6-DOF alignments.

'The T-50 contract confirms the versatility of the HarmoLign technology, as well as its ability to meet the demanding life support cost and ease-of use requirements of the customer' says Oeyvind Roetvold, CEO and President of Metronor.

'We are very happy to work with Korea Aerospace Industries and we believe that the T-50 contract is just the beginning of a long and successful cooperation between the two companies. The T-50 order and earlier HarmoLign orders shows that HarmoLign is a cost effective solution both for new weapon system platform customers and for replacement of existing legacy boresight systems. The system configuration on order can easily be modified for boresighting of other KAI platforms, providing the possibility for KAI to standardize on one boresight system technology for all their platforms.' Errol Henriksen, Vice President of Metronor's military business adds.